1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a function converting apparatus generating data for outputting to a device, a function converting method, a storage medium storing a function converting program, a device data generating apparatus, a device data generating method, and a storage medium storing a device data generating program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when print is executed by an image forming apparatus such as a printer or like equipment, a personal computer (hereinafter, refer to PC) connected to the image forming apparatus generates device data described by a language such as a page description language (PDL) or the like, which can be interpreted by the image forming apparatus executing the print, and outputs this data to the image forming apparatus (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-212749). Based on printing data, generated by an application according to a version of operating system installed on a PC, the technique of JP-A No. 11-212749 generates device data, using a printer driver, which can be interpreted by a printer corresponding to this printer driver, the printer driver being compatible with the same operating system version. In other words, the technique of JP-A No. 11-212749 converts a single data format defined by the operating system into a single data format defined by the device.
In general, if a new function is added, such as with a new Application Program Interface being added to the operating system (hereinafter, referred to as OS) during a version upgrade of the OS of the above PC, it is necessary to change the device driver so as to make it compatible with the new API function.
However, a problem is generated in that it is impossible to use the function corresponding to the new API, from an old application compatible with the functions of the OS before adding the new function. On the contrary, it is also hard to use only the functions corresponding to the old API from the new application corresponding to the OS after adding the new function. In other words, there is generated a problem that an unconformity is generated between the functions which the OS can provide and the associated functions of devices, such as image forming apparatuses or the like, due to the addition of the new function to the OS or the like.